“Our aim was to create a uniquely canberran hotel that responds to Griffin's vision for the city”

Philip Vivian

Director, Bates Smart

Situated adjacent to the terminal at Canberra Airport, the new Vibe Hotel is centred on a dramatic full height circular atrium that draws from Griffin’s plan for Canberra and reinvents the atrium hotel concept, made popular in the US in the 1970s and ‘80s by John Portman.

Developed by Canberra Airport Corporation, Bates Smart were responsible for both the architecture and interiors of the six level hotel, which includes 191 rooms, suites and apartments, conferencing facilities, a restaurant, bar and lounges.

Bates Smart director Philip Vivian said when designing the hotel, Bates Smart sought to reflect Canberra’s DNA, resulting in a hotel crafted specifically for its location and context.

“We have created a uniquely Canberran destination for travellers to enjoy, one that will attract visitors with its timeless design combining circular and axial geometries to create a distinctive form, derived from both its context and referencing Canberra’s history. These circular geometries allow the building to be read in the round, responding to the site’s multiple approach and vantage points.”

Appointed to the project after winning a major design competition in 2013, Bates Smart has also designed the interiors, which echo the circular theme present in the building’s geometry.The holistic approach to the internal and external environment has resulted in a design-driven hotel with a consistent aesthetic that runs throughout – from the floorplate to the bathroom tiles.

Design win at Sydney Olympic Park The facade unites the building to read as a composition of forms

“This is a complex building with multiple uses expressed in a simple form ”

Guy Lake

Director

Bates Smart, with long term client Ecove, recently won a design based tender for a mixed use development at Sydney Olympic Park.

Bates Smart Director Guy Lake comments on the team's approach:

"Our design for the project is expressed as three interlocking objects, representing the primary uses on the site: a slender residential tower with views spanning from Homebush to the city; active ground level uses including a licenced club and retail below a parking podium; and a sustainable office headquarters for Sydney Olympic Park Authority."

The facade approach unifies the building composition through a combination of terracotta, glass and aluminium panels. The tower is expressed a serires of stacked multi-storey volumes, and wrapped in glass and silver metal to project a shimmering skin. By using a façade that blurs the boundary of the office space and the parking, the podium design enhances the identity of the office while suppressing the identity of the above ground parking. The façade uses terracotta and glass in alternating panels of varying width to seamlessly transition from a more solid facade that visually conceals the cars to an open facade that provides natural light and outlook to the office space.

Alexandra on the Park, South Yarra, Melbourne Distinctly not the average aged care facility

“This project is unprecedented in aged care and provides similar amenity and elegance to 6 star international hotels”

John Matthies

Australian Aged Care Group Pty Ltd

Alexandra on the Park will be Australia’s first premium aged care facility to offer an outstanding resident experience, design and location to match.

Designed by Bates Smart for Australian Aged Care Group Pty Ltd, the facility boasts spacious resident suites, a day spa, virtual golf simulator, individual wine cellars and wine tasting room, hydrotherapy pool, gold class cinema and concierge service, all within walking distance to South Yarra’s Como Park, the Chapel Street precinct and the Capital City Trail.

Project Leader, Mark Di Bartolo comments:

“Alexandra on the Park turns the current aged care model on its head, it offers a luxury hotel type experience in place of the familiar hospital based standard. It allows residents to enjoy the best quality of life possible.”

The building's modernist pavilions are strategically perched within a graded landscape to seamlessly weave together its luxurious interiors, landscape designed courtyards and Melbourne’s city views beyond the Yarra River.

John Matthies of Australian Aged Care Pty Ltd commented on the project: "This model is unprecedented in aged care and provides similar amenity and elegance to 6-star international hotels. Alexandra on The Park will provide spacious suites up to 144 sqm in size. Owned and operated by a family company renowned for the quality of care over a period in excess of 50 years Alexandra on The Park will be fully appreciated by those accustomed to the very best.”

Bates Smart has announced the recent promotion of three of their team to Studio Directors, strengthening the leadership teams in both Melbourne and Sydney studios.

The three new Studio Directors Basil Richardson, Steve Jones and Robert Graham each contribute key strengths to the broader practice. Focusing on technology, modern solutions, and exceptional communication and delivery skills they will together reinforce the existing Directors in preparation for its next generation of growth.

Basil Richardson is an industry leader ensuring design integrity on projects across multiple sectors, including TransGrid Head Office, The Ainsworth Building UNSW, 177 Pacific Highway North Sydney and 130 Elizabeth Street, Sydney.

Robert Graham is acknowledged as one of the profession’s foremost design and delivery architects developing innovative solutions for large scale projects including Collins Square, UNSW Kensington Colleges and the recently launched Canberra Vibe Hotel.

Collins House

Collins House will be a landmark project designed by Bates Smart for clients Golden Age Group and Asian Pacific Group and since its launch in May this year remarkable sales results have been achieved with over 90% of the apartments sold.

Located in the heart of Melbourne’s premier street, Collins House display suite is situated behind the heritage listed Art Nouveau facade, which was originally the headquarters of shipping company Huddard Parker.

The design by Bates Smart, in consultation with heritage architect Lovell Chen, highlights the historic decorative ceiling details and columns which will be carefully re-created in the proposed residential foyer. The ceiling beams, coffers and column capitals feature intricate mouldings; casts of which will be taken for exact reproduction when the new lobby is constructed.

The display features a 3-bedroom kitchen, dining and living space with bathrooms finished in the Collins Scheme complemented with a range of audio visual and print display material and a scale model.

Dramatic up-lighting brings the room to life and creates an open, warm and welcoming sales environment directly accessed and viewed from Collins Street.

Radisson redesign

The 5 star Radisson Blu Hotel Sydney has begun work on the second phase of its $12 million redesign with a complete refresh of all its suites and guest rooms by Bates Smart.

Bates Smart Studio Director, Brenton Smith, comments:

"We embraced the distinctive characteristics of this grand heritage building with a timeless modern palette. It was important to create a greater connection between the elegant facade and the interior."

Ultra-high-speed technology has been discretely integrated to ensure the hotel caters for business guests as well as holiday travellers. The hotel redesign is due for completion in mid-2016.

Quintessential Melbourne

Bates Smart has been engaged by joint-venture partners Brookfield and Cbus Property to design premium residential apartments over two prominent sites in East Melbourne. When complete, the development will also encompass the restoration and conversion of 'Mosspennoch House' into six grand residences, a $6 million lobby and F&B upgrade to the adjacent Pullman Melbourne on the Park hotel is also proposed by Brookfield.

The neighbouring sites located at 22 Clarendon Street and 178 Wellington Parade will form a boutique scale premium development offering one, two and three bedroom apartments to be launched in early 2016.

Studio Director Steve Jones comments on the project:

"The two sites are neighbouring the Pullman Melbourne on the Park have provided us with an opportunity to create a new precinct that complements the grand style of living that is synonymous with East Melbourne.

"The proposed development on Clarendon Street includes the refurbishment by Lovell Chen of the historic Italianate mansion of Mosspennoch House built in 1881 for James Lidell Purves, Q.C.

"The proposed new buildings are designed as restrained contemporary companions for Mosspennoch House and the historic residential fabric of East Melbourne.

"Window frames and secondary facade elements are darker and more recessive to emphasise the classical proportions of the masonry grid. Large covered terraces face the Fitzroy Gardens, whilst generously proportioned balconies and terraces are located on Wellington Parade to take maximum advantage of the views whilst providing ample opportunity for indoor/outdoor living.

"The interior design for the entire development continues the classical contemporary theme allowing for elegant and spacious living. The base palette of high-quality natural materials allows residents to tailor their new home to their personal preferences, whilst exuding the quintessential quality of living that makes East Melbourne one of the most desirable residential addresses in Melbourne."

Time is luxury

International premier retail group The Hour Glass have engaged Bates Smart to upgrade and consolidate its retail property in the heart of the luxury retail precinct in King Street, Sydney.

Led by Studio Director, Basil Richardson, our design team have submitted a development application for the facade of the King Street frontage in keeping with the neighbouring facade treatment, also by Bates Smart.

Eat Drink Design Win!

Bates Smart celebrated wins in two categories at the recent Eat Drink Design Awards. The Fat Duck Melbourne and The Hennessey Lounge in Adelaide's Mayfair Hotel won Highly Commended accolades for Best Restaurant Design and Best Bar Design respectively.

Congratulations to the interiors team led by interior design Director, Jeff Copolov.

High class health

Cabrini Health’s new Clinical Services Building is the culmination of over five years of thinking about the future form of health care services and continues Bates Smart long-standing relationship with the hospital spanning over 50 years.

Studio Director, Tim Leslie says: “We are proud to be the design and lead consultant for this significant project, which builds upon many of our highly successful design strategies established at the Royal Children’s Hospital. This building has been designed from the patient perspective, and transforms the hospital ward from a purely clinical, sterile place into one of wellbeing and healing.”

The interior design approach has been led by Associate Director Mark Healey. Mark has worked hand in hand with Cabrini to challenge outdated operational norms to bring a new level of quality care, comfort and serenity to the patient.

A critical addition to the hospital campus is the inclusion of the radiotherapy bunkers which will complete an integrated cancer care model and improve the patient experience, allowing patients to remain on site for all their treatment.

Geoff Fazakerley, Cabrini, comments: "The focus Cabrini has on improving the whole experience of attending Hospital for both patient and family is clearly displayed in the design of this building."

The seven storey 138 bed project has just been submitted for town planning.

New Tower underway

Construction is well underway on 177 Pacific Highway, North Sydney for the CIMIC Group. The 32 storey commercial tower will create a new gateway to North Sydney anchoring the northwest corner of the CBD. Its asymmetrical composition creates a dynamic tower that has been sculpted to eliminate overshadowing of special public areas in North Sydney.

A unique long span structure consisting of a 17m span with 6m cantilevers creates highly flexible open plan floors.

The glazed Garden Plaza is designed to form a seamless transition between inside and outside. A restaurant and cafe will offer generous spaces for social gathering and informal meetings.

The Garden Plaza will potentially host exhibitions and events.The main office lobby is raised above the Garden Plaza and anchors the space. A second dedicated lobby is accessed via escalators to a raised volume overlooking the plaza.

177 Pacific Highway is a next generation workplace and will be the first new high-rise office in North Sydney this century.

Calling all Urban Explorers!

Footpath Guides is a new set of Melbourne Architectural Walking Guides designed for the curious urban flâneur.

Each edition focuses on the architectural elements of a particular location, showcasing notable examples of the featured style or era, including many Bates Smart buildings and a complete volume on the work of our founder, Joseph Reed.